


day1 * i could use a break, and you’re the closest thing to comfort i can find

by eloveated



Series: DOPIL*WEEK [1]
Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: CG/L, Fluff, M/M, Time Travel, day1, day6shipweeks2018, dopilweek2018, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 02:10:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14486517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eloveated/pseuds/eloveated
Summary: in which wonpil needs some warm, fizzy fanta to light up his life, and dowoon just so happens to be a bubbly boy wearing an orange shirt.





	day1 * i could use a break, and you’re the closest thing to comfort i can find

**Author's Note:**

> cg/l!au
> 
> *
> 
> so i've been reading some of StarlightNArmy's books (on wattpad), and they were about caregiver/little relationships, and the entire concept simply... struck a chord with me :3 
> 
> i really love the idea of little space and i really love the fact that there are people out there who support each other despite anything someone else may say <3 it's gorgeous, and it's precious, and it's so, so gentle
> 
> basically fluff (which i am quite... keen on writing lol)
> 
> i decided to stay away from all of the usual stuff (like "daddy/mommy," pacifiers, sippy cups, etc.) because i thought it would interfere a bit TOO much with the stricter korean culture these boys live in, as well as with their personalities... either way, all little spaces are different, and so is the one in this story :) dowoonie regresses to more of the "6" age, so he doesn't go as far as many people in little space do :3
> 
> but there's also angst, so please keep a lookout for soul-wrenching moments (even though i don't like to write about them and am horrible at writing them/taking them seriously bc i'm already confused enough about whether or not i am sad or just bored, rip me)
> 
> dowoon = 19
> 
> wonpil = 20
> 
> kihyun = 21
> 
> minhyuk = 21
> 
> sungjin = 21
> 
> jae = 22
> 
> brian = 21
> 
> dowoonie just needs cared for and protec, and wonpil just needs a little brother <3 so here i am, making it a (n alternate) reality

***

"sansaeng-nim, sansaeng-nim!!!!! look what i found!!"

wonpil looked down at the small girl tugging at his shirt and squatted so he was at her height. "what you got there, hyebin-ah?"

the girl excitedly squealed and opened her palms to reveal a centipede. it seemed to be frozen in fear, and wonpil immediately took on its appearance. "it's a cenipee, sansaeng-nim!"

"a— aaah~" he drew out, smacking a forced smile onto his face. he licked his lips and gulped back a scream of terror, then gave the girl a thumbs up. "that's a very pretty centipede you got there, hyebin-ah... but i think you should put it back where you found it so it can go home..."

"i found it under the bookshelf, though, wonpillie-nim... we're outside right now and kihyun-nim won't let me go back inside!" 

wonpil mentally blessed kihyun for being so strict. "how about we go put the centipede under the tree, then? maybe it will bring some new books to the shelf for us! what about it, mm?"

the girl stood still a few seconds, looking at the centipede as if she didn't want to let it go just yet. or ever... then she nodded and turned to wonpil. "sansaeng-nim... do you want to hold it?" never had wonpil shaken his head as quickly as he did at that moment. "but... sansaeng-nim! she wants to hug you!" and with this phrase, hyebin, squealing and laughing, launched the wriggling insect at her frightened caretaker. the shrieks of both the bug and the man seemed to echo throughout the entire yard.

 

at the end of the daycare day, wonpil busily scrubbed at the the crayon-stained walls whilst kihyun worked at the puzzle-piece foam floor with a broom. the older man suddenly stood up straight with a groan, wiping the sweat from his brow. "wonpil... good one with the bug. how did you even get it to the tree? i would have killed it if hyebin-ah threw it at me!"

"mm." the man being addressed kept at his scrubbing, hoping the taxing labor would take his mind off of the dark philosophical broodings storming his mind. all it did was make his arm ache. as he stared at hyebin's crayon drawing depicting the insect on the wall, he stilled, unable to draw his eyes away for some reason. "but... i'm kind of like that centipede, you know?" he really was. hyebin was the entire world in all its tragedy and unpredictability, and wonpil was the centipede. the poor, poor creature writhing around helplessly until it would inevitably be launched at an unsuspecting passersby. and he didn't know if the one who caught him would be merciful like him or cruel like kihyun...

"care to elaborate?" kihyun slightly leaned on his broom, resting his chin on his hand.

wonpil woke up from his trance and sniffed. "no." he cracked his neck and cleared his throat, then went back to his vehement swiping at the wall.

"well, you seem more like a flower to me than a centipede."

"if i'm a flower, i sure am a broken one..."

kihyun nudged wonpil with the butt of his broom to get his attention. "if you want to see something that will heal your 'brokenness' as you put it, go to the aquarium at 7:30 in the evening tomorrow." kihyun pushed his glasses up on his nose intelligently. 

"but isn't that when it closes, hyung?"

"yes..." kihyun hid his sneaky giggle with the palm of his hand. "but my friend, minhyuk, works there... and this one kid always visits him after hours, at 8. i think you'd like him."

"okay?.." wonpil wrung his hands together in confusion. "but why?"

kihyun's smile suddenly changed from cunning to soft. "well, he's obnoxious and hyperactive. but he's also really, really sweet. and nobody who has ever met him has left without a smile on their face... well, other than hoseok-ah that one time..." kihyun tapped his chin, then dismissively waved his hand to the side. "but that's a whole other story. anyway, you have to tell me if you'll go so i can let minhyuk-ah know."

wonpil just kept scrubbing and doing his best not to think about it. it's not like it would work anyway, right? maybe he'd casually mention it to his therapist later or something... but he didn't have time to think about it right now, not when there was so much scrubbing and cleaning up to do...

 

half an hour of cleaning up later, wonpil scampered into the passenger's seat of the daycare owner's car. as sungjin revved up the engine, he turned to wonpil with a smile. "hey, pil-ah... i heard about what happened. do you want me to get you some orange smoothie or some nice food before we go home?"

wonpil shook his head, not in the mood to talk.

"okay..." the older man didn't push, knowing that sometimes wonpil needed time to himself. "but if you ever want anything, please don't hesitate to ask. you know i care about you, right?"

wonpil nodded and attempted a smile, but it quickly left his lips. the blond man heard sungjin let out a worried sigh from beside him, following it up with the sound of the gear shift clicking into the drive position. he allowed his head to fall to the window, looking out at the scenery from the corner of his eye. the lulling rocking of the car as it rolled down the road soon eased his mind out of his body, and the man did his best to think about the wonderful kids he got to take care of every weekday thanks to sungjin. but all he could envision was the centipede. the centipede that reminded him so much of himself. the one that reflected him so well that he couldn't get it out of his mind, no matter what he did. so he whispered out, "hey, sungjin-hyung..."

"mm?~" the older man hummed from beside him, making a smooth turn onto a bright-looking street. he knew how much his dongsaeng liked bright colors...

"today kihyun-hyung told me that he wants to introduce me to a friend of his." wonpil paused as he caught sight of a nice-looking  garden overflowing with pretty red flowers, his breath pleasantly catching in his throat at the lovely view, then continued breathily speaking once the garden was no longer visible. "well... this friend works at an aquarium, and hyung told me that there's someone who comes to visit the friend and helps him out around 8. he said this kid makes people happy for some reason. do you..." wonpil sniffled, bringing his knees up to his chest and holding on to the strap of his seatbelt for comfort. "do you think i should take hyung up on his offer, hyung? do you think he can help me?"

a pleased grin planted itself on sungjin's lips and the man gently hummed. "you should do it, pil-ah. he's a great kid."

"you know him?" wonpil curiously whispered, turning his head to look at his hyung.

"mhm." the black-haired man's smile grew wider as he thought about the kid. "i've seen him walking dogs from the shelter he volunteers at, and i spoke to him when i visited the aquarium after hours last week to find out if the daycare could go on a field trip there. you'll love him."

"why haven't i ever heard of him?" wonpil whispered out, thoughtfully scratching at his knees.

"i was so busy setting up the field trip that i forgot to tell you about him... i'm so ashamed!"

"oh."

"but i'm so glad kihyun-ah thought to tell you... it's such a relief!"

wonpil stayed silent, his heart gently beating out a rhythm. what was so good about this kid? could the kid perhaps be the passersby who would catch him and sit with him under the shade of a tree? or would the kid squash him on the spot?.. but wonpil's mind didn't stay on the suspense for long, as anxiety hit him hard, bringing tears to his eyes and soon his cheeks and his shirt.

 

as soon as sungjin pulled into their driveway, wonpil immediately fell into a fit of hysterics, sadness overwhelming him to the core. before sungjin could follow him, the blonde ran into his room and locked the door. he didn't want to make the older man late for his doctor's appointment that evening, so he didn't allow himself to cling onto the brother-like figure whose shoulder was usually so comforting to use as a crying pillow on his bad days. so the blond man sat criss-cross on his bed, hiccups distorting his voice and rocks weighing down his throat as sungjin quietly knocked on his door and gently, in a broken tone, told him to text or call him if he could help somehow. 

pil stayed quiet. he knew he shouldn't be sad, he knew he should be happy... but there was just something... not right. something was extremely wrong, and maybe -- just maybe -- the kid kihyun told him about would help... somehow. he untangled his phone from his pocket and unsteadily clicked on his hyung's name once his blurry eyes deciphered the letters on the screen. "i'll go," he hiccuped into the receiving end of his cell once the pink-haired man picked up, holding his nose between his fingers in a futile attempt to stop the snot from dribbling out of his nose, but it was already melding with the tears streaming down to his chin.

"good," kihyun's sing-songy tone carried over the phone shakily hovering over wonpil's ear. "i'll drive you there after work."

"n- no need," the younger man stuttered out, shifting his position and coughing to hold back a stray sob. "i can take the bus."

"i said: I'LL. DRIVE. YOU. AFTER. WORK." kihyun sassily clucked, adding in, "and that's final."

then the line was dropping, and so was wonpil's heart. what if he fucked everything up tomorrow? what if he didn't like the kid? what if the kid didn't like HIM? what would he do then?! and as the poor brunette felt tears prick the backs of his eyes with their sharp needles, he covered his mouth and did his best to JUST BREATHE.

...breathe...

 

the next day went by more smoothly. wonpil was happier because of his giddiness, and also because there were so many kids being nice to him and playing with him and not throwing existential crisis-inducing centipedes around. after work, sungjin hugged his dongsaeng tight, then pulled back to look him in the eyes. "now, you. listen to me."

pil nodded with a tiny, "of course, hyung."

sungjin's serious face made way for a smile, and he gave wonpil's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "you'll love him. he'll love you. it will be perfect. got it?"

"got it." wonpil shyly hugged his hyung once more, the rumbling of the black-haired man's chuckling calmingly vibrating against his hammering heart.

"make me proud."

"i will." wonpil allowed sungjin to separate from him and kihyun tugged at the blonde's sleeve. "is it time to go?" pil asked the smiling man. the pink-haired man nodded, and they bade farewell to the daycare owner before heading to the car.

a good ten minutes of kihyun quietly singing and driving with his gentle voice on the notes and his soft hands on the wheel to calm wonpil down went by before they arrived at the aquarium. once the older man set his car on the emergency park triangle, he turned to wonpil with a friendly shooing motion. "go on then."

"what?"

"go inside. minnie's at the walrus enclosure."

"walrus enclosure??"

"if you turn left, you'll see it. minhyuk's the guy with black hair and a shit-eating grin and the blue turtleneck that slips down and shows the butterfly-shaped tattoo on his neck no matter how many times he tries to cover it. watch it closely -- it knows how to flap its wings." kihyun laughed at having exposed his friend, then gave wonpil a gentle push of encouragement. "go on, then! off with you!"

"you... you aren't coming with me, hyung?" wonpil worriedly chewed on his lip, his eyes darting between his hyung and the building.

"unfortunately, i can't." kihyun patted his dongsaeng's head with a sorry smile. "i have to go pick up hyunwoo from his office. we're going to see our friends' rap gig."

"ah. okay." wonpil gulped and gave his friend a grin. "hope you have a nice time. please don't drink and drive."

the pink-haired man chuckled in embarrassment and gave the younger man another encouraging shove. "sure, sure. there won't be alcohol anyway... half the audience and performers are underage. now go. have some fun. and, oh... i'll ask minhyukkie for details later, so don't even think about running away."

 

wonpil opened the car door and climbed out, sending kihyun a wave and a soft, "Bye~" before heading over to the building. he was in one of his better moods today, thankfully, probably because of his 'cleansing' crying session yesterday. all those tears washed away some of the confusion and sadness. it was refreshing, if anything... but still pretty sad and painful though. his eyes kind of hurt from all the weeping and his throat still ached from the sobbing...

as he entered the building, wonpil stared about him in wonder, leaving his gnawing fears behind. "wow~"

the entrance hall was completely covered in glass, revealing water washing through the walls and ceiling. wonpil paused to look at the fish swimming along with the current and cooed in awe at them. the far-off sounds of baritone belching and heavy splashing shook him out of his trance and he hurried down the corridor and turned left, looking about himself the entire time. soon he saw a huge pool before him, decorated with caves and surrounded by benches for spectators. in the pool floated two large brown forms. a person stood before them in front of the benches, doing interesting body motions to get the whiskered creatures to burp, lift themselves from the water, and release interesting yells. wonpil stood awhile in surprise, staring at the actions in curiosity. soon enough, the black-haired man noticed him and ceased his motions, instead excitedly striding over to wonpil with an obnoxiously loud yell. "OH MY GOD!!!! YOU MUST BE WONPIL! I'M SO HAPPY TO MEET YOU!!! HERE, WANT TO HELP ME GIVE MARY AND BARYA SOME FISH AS A REWARD? OH WAIT, LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF; I'M MINHYUK!" 

wonpil took the hand offered him and shook it happily. minhyuk seemed to be a kind man. "ah, it's nice to meet you, minhyuk-ssi."

"i'm glad it is!" minhyuk hurried back to the place he had been standing, still excitedly gripping wonpil's hand, then grabbed a bucket and ran to the enclosure, dragging the confused man along. there was a small ladder in front of the pool, and the turtle-neck dude let go of the younger man's hand to climb up it with the bucket still in his grasp. he turned to the blonde with a smile and held out the bucket. "hold this for me, would you?"

wonpil cautiously gripped its sides.

"thanks!" minhyuk took some gloves out of his apron pocket and slipped them onto his fingers. "great! watch closely! maybe you can try it next time... after i introduce you to these pretty ladies, of course, ahaha!"

the younger man hesitantly nodded and handed the experienced worker the bucket, noting that there really was a tattoo on his neck. hm.

the black-haired man carefully took a fish out of the bucket and placed it in the mouth of one of the creatures who had stood up from the water to reach his hand. "here you go, mary. jagiya, you did so well today!" he stroked her whiskers, causing her to move back a bit and spit water at him in distaste. the man simply laughed and gave her a few more fish. then the other walrus swam up to the wall and stood up to get some fish. "barya! sorry jooheonie wasn't here today... he had to practice for his gig with changkyunnie... you remember kyunnie, right? well, they'll both be here tomorrow. you did really well, but you can still do better. let's show them how much you've improved. hwaiting!" minhyuk climbed back down the step ladder and signaled the fascinated wonpil to follow him. they went to the staff room, minhyuk not breaking the conversation for a second. "you work with kihyunnie, right?"

"mm."

"tell me something i can use to expose him. please, jebal!!"

"um..."

"come on... he already told you about my tattoo, didn't he?"

wonpil nodded, then tilted his head to the side in slight confusion. "what's so bad about your tattoo? it's very pretty..."

"ahhh... it's so embarrassing, though~" minhyuk groaned in annoyance.

"but... why?"

"people always tell me it looks like it's flying when i talk or laugh or eat or do anything at all, and it's so annoying when they just look at me and laugh without context! even if they're just doing it for fun, not to make fun of me..." minhyuk jokingly whined out, pouting. 

"but that's so cool!" 

"well, okay." minhyuk laughed, satisfied. he quite enjoyed how wonpil stared at his neck in wonder when he laughed. it reminded him a bit of dowoonie's reaction to the butterfly. "i didn't realize how savage my friends are when i first got it, that's all."

"mm."

they finally reached the supply closet, where minhuk drained the bucket of water and placed the fish in the refrigerator with new ice in it. the man scrapped his gloves in the waste basket and grabbed some new ones, along with some cleaning tools, talking the whole while. "alright... since you won't tell me anything about kihyun... tell me about yourself!"

"there's really nothing to tell," wonpil uncomfortably offered.

the older man shook his head. "okay, okay. i'll phrase that differently. you've met me now, right? so i'm now your hyung! now... tell your hyung what your favorite color is."

wonpil softly smiled and brushed his hair behind his ear. "orange..."

"is there a reason? maybe... could it be..." minhyuk placed his arm around the younger man's shoulders and friendlily teased, "you're in love with fanta?!"

wonpil laughed, playfully shoving his now-hyung. "hyuuung~ how could you even say that? of course i love fanta, but not like that!"

the older man laughed along and kept walking with wonpil's arm over his shoulder. "alright, alright... then why do you actually like orange?"

"it's... warm." wonpil smiled. "and it's bright, and fizzy. i really like warm and bright and fizzy. it makes me comfortable."

"so... fanta that's been in the sun for an hour, basically?" minhyuk let out another bark of a laugh, drawing it into a sort of happy squeal towards the end. wonpil couldn't help but burst into his own bout of giggles. "but okay, okay. all jokes aside... orange really IS a nice color. i understand why you like it so much."

they now stood in front of the walrus enclosure once more. the walruses had exited the water and were basking around on the rocks. minhyuk heaved a sigh of relief and moved the ladder over to the end of the pool so he could step up onto it and begin to clean the walls with a squeagie wiper and a cloth. "mm... good times. i have to finish this before dowoonie gets here. oh, it's just so we can go somewhere he can help and get to look at the fish, too... ah, and it's your turn to ask a question, wonpil-ah!"

the blonde thought a few seconds and then asked, "so... why do you work at an aquarium, minhyuk-ssi?"

the black-haired man chuckled and dragged his clean hand through his hair. "well... i get to interact with cool animals every day... and i get to see cute kids having fun. i absolutely love kids and animals and socializing with each of them, so it's a win-win situation!"

"ah... i see."

"how about you?" minhyuk moved the ladder over and continued to clean the tank as he spoke. "why do you work at a daycare?"

"i like to take care of people. and kids need the most care out of anyone. i want to help them and see them be happy."

"you make it sound as if YOU'RE not happy."

wonpil paused, then looked down, uncomfortable. "mm."

minhyuk reached down to clasp the brunette's shoulder with his clean hand and grinned widely. "well, you'll feel a lot happier after meeting our dowoonie. guaranteed!"

 

at eight o'clock straight, the sound of loud footfalls echoed down from the entrance corridor and minhyuk chuckled in the middle of the fifty-somethingth question (probably) he was asking wonpil, cutting it off. he swiped at the last space left on the tank before climbing down from the ladder, setting down his supplies, and taking off his gloves. wonpil whipped his head behind him, hearing the footsteps escalate and get louder and louder by the second. they carried a wonderful, consistent beat, just like the steady sound of a drum, going thump thumP thuMP thUMP tHUMP THUMP~ 

and minhyuk, seeing how wide wonpil's eyes were getting, chuckled once more and told the younger man, "ah, don't worry. that's just dowoonie."

"oh."

minhyuk watched the blonde's face when dowoon finally burst into the room. wonpil's eyes had grown even larger as his heart did a highly unusual sort of leap, his lips curling into a curious sort of O shape. the man's breaths were visibly shaking his shoulders, because that beautifully orange shirt and that smile -- oh that gorgeously wide, heart-shaped smile -- were heading straight at him, were bounding toward him like a puppy running to its long-lost owner. the black-haired man shifted his gaze from wonpil's wonder-struck expression to the playfully excited one of the man who was giddily skipping right towards the blonde. he leaned over to wonpil and murmured in his ear, "you know... maybe dowoonie could be your warm, fizzy fanta for the evening~" and then he was stepping to the side with a smile as said fanta came crashing directly into the bewildered wonpil, gathering him up in a warm, warm embrace. 

wonpil let out a squeak of surprise, wrapping his arms around the younger man's shoulders when he felt himself lift off the ground a bit. "uwaaaah!" he felt vibrating on his neck, in exactly the same place minhyuk's tattoo was drawn. "hyung, i'm so happy to finally meet you! hyung-ah... kihyunnie-hyung and minhyukkie-hyung and sungjinnie-hyung told me all about you!!! aaah!!!!~" and as the excited, puppy-like boy pulled back and stared at him with a huge grin that could quite possibly bring about world peace, or probably even universal peace, wonpil finally understood why minhyuk had a butterfly tattoo on his neck.

"m-- asdj--- aha???~" wonpil stuttered out, feeling his cheeks do the thing where they became the roses he had seen through the car window just yesterday, before a wide smile blossomed on them. "hello..."

"hellooooo!~ AH!!! sunshine-hyung... let's go clean the fishie homes! right, minnie-hyung?"

"sunshine?" wonpil murmured to himself, touching his cheeks.

minhyuk cooed at both dowoonie's excitement and wonpil's shock and nodded at the youngest. "of course, dowoonie. i have all the things we need, so we can go right away!"

dowoon happily turned back to wonpil and grabbed his hand. "ah, sunshine-hyung-- pali! we have to go before the fishies go to sleep!"

wonpil grew warm from the contact of their hands and felt more comfortable than he had in a long time. "mm."

 

"you say 'mm' a lot, sunshine-hyung," dowoon said to wonpil once they arrived at the first tank-hall they would be cleaning the accessible exterior of. minhyuk had been asking a lot of questions as always, some of which wonpil did not know how to answer. that's why his iconic 'mm' had left his mouth multiple times over the last few minutes.

 

"ah... you're very observant, dowoonie," pil chuckled out, squeezing the younger man's hand a bit. "i'm so proud of you!" he said on instinct. having used that phrase many times before at the daycare, he knew how happy it made kids when he told them that.

dowoon blushed and the pink hue spread from his ears to his neck and cheeks. "hyuuung-ah~"

minhyuk chuckled at the two and nudged wonpil's arm. "he likes you."

dowoon didn't deny it, and his blush just grew darker and darker until it looked as if he would explode any second. wonpil looked over at him and -- out of nowhere -- smooched his cheek. "here. for making me so proud." he swung their hands a few times in bliss, warmth spreading over his lips and flowing down his neck all the way to his heart.

the childlike man pressed his fingers to his cheek and brought his and wonpil's intertwined hands to his chest, touched at his hyung's action. "do-dowoonie likes ppo-ppo." he smiled, playfully squinting his eyes over in wonpil's direction. "and... and he likes... wonpillie-hyung..."

minhyuk "aw~"ed at them, then passed them both scrubbing cloths and spray cans. "now let's clean the tanks and look at the fish! i'll go get the ceiling brush from the closet, so you guys start without me, okay?" 

"YEAH!!~" while minhyuk left to go get the supplies he needed, dowoon dragged wonpil to the glass and demonstrated how to correctly clean the aquarium wall. the blonde thanked the black-haired man and gave him the biggest smile he could possibly twist his mouth into. dowoon happily laughed and clapped his hands together, then began to instruct his hyung while also scrubbing at the wall in clean circles at a constant rhythm. soon enough, a hand-sized, bright, colourful fish swam up to them and curiously tapped the glass in front of their cloths with its bulging head. dowoon screeched in joy and pointed to the fish, repeatedly yelling, "LOOK, HYUNG!! IT'S A FISHIE!! UWAHHH!~ HE'S SO COOL! AAAHH!~" 

wonpil stared at the man with a sparkle in his eye, not even being able to draw his eyes away to look at the fish. he walked forward and hugged dowoon from behind, placing his chin on the younger man's shoulder. now he finally saw the fish and let out his own noise of appreciation. "yah! that's such a cool fishie, dowoonie! do you know what kind it is?"

dowoon shook his head and moved his cloth from one direction to another, causing the curious fish to swim back and forth in its pursuit. his other hand found its way to wonpil's hands, which had encircled his torso, and he kept tugging at his hyung's orange bracelet in excitement.

"here, i'll tell you. it's a really interesting one. it's called a flowerhorn, darling." wonpil tapped dowoon's shoulder with his chin a few times and closed his eyes in contentment. 

"flower-- flower??"

"here. follow after me. flower--"

"flower--"

"horn."

"horn?"

"mm. now -- flower-horn."

"flowerhorn?"

"let's go together. can you count to three for me, dear?"

dowoon happily nodded, and then, in his surprisingly deep and agyeo-rich voice: "hana dul...~ hana dul set--"

and they happily chirped out, "flowerhorn!"

"aaah!! my dowoonie, i'm so proud of you! so, so proud!!" wonpil cheerfully hugged the younger man close and swung him around a bit so they were both swaying.

"so... i get a ppo-ppo?" the black-haired man shyly mumbled, pouting out his lips in embarrassment and scuffing his feet on the ground.

"hm?"

"ppo... ppo?" 

"of course!"

dowoon turned his face sideways and stuck out his cheek, squirming in excitement. the fish had swam away by now, so all his attention was on the kiss he would be receiving. wonpil let out a small chuckle at the younger man's cuteness and leaned forward to place a soft kiss to his cheek. then, at the last possible second, dowoon caught sight of a cool fish on the other side of the room from the corner of his eye and excitedly turned his face all the way around so he could see the fish better. the blonde's eyes widened as his lips caught on the black-haired man's, but he couldn't bring himself to pull back. because he was warm, and he felt like fanta on a summer day. fizzy and nice. nice and fizzy...~

dowoon's eyes closed and he pushed his lips forward a bit, then pulled back, his eyes still closed. his nose brushed the older man's, but he did not pull away further than that. wonpil's fingers, meanwhile, rose to his lips, brushing against them in disbelief. "oh my god..." he breathed out, his nose gently rustling against dowoonie's as he spoke.

the black-haired boy finally opened his eyes and gave his hyung a sheepish smile. "dowoonie likes this ppo-ppo, too, hyung.~"

and then minhyuk was calling for them to come look at the youngest man's favorite eel, an elated dowoonie dragging his awestruck hyung behind him as he ran to go look at gunmin-ah.

 

the three men had finally finished cleaning the remaining tanks and were now standing in the entrance hallway, the clean tank seeming to be even more welcoming than before. it was now 9:30, and dowoon's eyes were beginning to droop in exhaustion. wonpil, who was standing beside the boy, brought dowoon into his arms, hugging him close and humming onto his shoulder. the black-haired man smiled in appreciation and slid his fingers over wonpil's in a repetitive motion. "you two seem to have warmed up to each other quickly," minhyuk chuckled out. "dowoonie usually only feels this comfortable with people after a few days of spending time with them. and he never really is QUITE this close and open." the warm smile that followed complemented his words, and wonpil felt his own face light up with a soft grin.

dowoon turned around in pil's arms and shyly smiled down at the blonde hugging him close. "take care of me, pillie-hyung-ah?" he giggled out, wriggling around in pil's arms with a sudden burst of sporadic energy. 

"huh?"

"it means he wants you to take him home and make him warm milk with butter and tuck him in."

dowoon raised his finger in the air and added in, "and sing a lullaby!"

"lullaby?" wonpil was as confused as ever. if not even more confused than before...

"he's only ever asked hoseok to be his caregiver before... and the idiot rejected him because he had an exam to study for. missed a once in a lifetime opportunity, if you ask me..."

"caregiver? opportunity? what?" stumped, wonpil allowed his arms to loosen a bit, and dowoon was finally able to spin in circles between them, just like that one seal did inside the hoop minhyukie-hyung held for it last week!

"basically, he let you become the one special person who is allowed to take care of him when he's like this. in a childlike state, i mean." the white-haired male flashed a warm smile and scratched the back of his neck. "he's not always like this, you know? he's usually quite a mature young man. what's more, this precious kid has only asked one person to be his caregiver, and he got rejected. he cried about it for months, but pretended that he was okay with it whenever he saw hoseok. so you're lucky he was so quick to trust you after something like that happened to him."

"how do you know so much about this?" the brunette wondered aloud in hushed tones. 

minhyuk's face grew soft, and he gazed at dowoon, who was giggling in wonpil's arms as the older man caught him and held him tight when the younger nearly fell over in dizziness. "research. lots and lots of it. and besides, hoseok has a little of his own now. the pabo constantly calls me up when they get in a fight or something. such a brat, if you ask me... but a cute one. definitely a cute one."

"oh."

 

after minhyuk sent a friendly goodbye to them, promising to call both kihyun and sungjin to let them know what was going on, wonpil and dowoon headed over to the bus stop. they sat waiting for the bus, because it came at 9:45, which was "a whole 10 minutes away!", and because "dowoonie's feet are tired, hyungie...~" not like wonpil minded, though. dowoon's hand was comfortably lying on his thigh and the boy's black hair was tickling his neck in the same place minhyuk's tattoo fluttered. butterflies spread throughout the blonde's entire body and he traced his finger in circles over woonie's knee and began to tap calming rhythms onto it with the help of the rest of the fingers on his hand. and their light touch nearly lulled dowoon to sleep, too, but just then the bus arrived, and woon leapt up in joy. "hyung! hyung, it's here!!"

wonpil carefully stood up and gently gripped the younger man's hand in his own. "good."

as soon as the doors opened, the overzealous boy dragged his hyung onto the bus and politely thanked the driver smiling with a small bow and payed for them both with his "extra coinses~" as he whispered in wonpil's ear with a giggle after they had sat down at the back of the empty bus. nobody else was getting on that line, so they were alone on the bus with the driver and it was super quiet apart from the soft music carrying over to them from the speakers by the happily humming man driving the vehicle with no rush. the calming swaying soon lulled dowoonie to sleep. he had curled up to his hyung like a puppy, his nose on the dainty neck, his hands circled round the thin waist, his legs brushing up against the strong thighs... luckily, the boy had whispered the line they would be getting off on before they had gotten on the bus, so wonpil knew when to wake him up. for now, he gazed at the beautiful boy beside him, wondering what he was like outside of his "little space," as minhyuk had called it. his hand rose up to dowoon's hair and his fingers made their way through the strands, never wanting to pull away from the softness. the hypnotizing rocking of the vehicle soon got to him as well, his eyes closing on their own and his brain switching off in exhaustion.

 

wonpil was suddenly softly shaken awake by the driver, who had stopped his bus by dowoon's stop. he kindly smiled at the blonde, murmuring out, with a slight accent, "this is dowoonie's stop."

"ah, thank you!" wonpil quietly said. "thank you so much!"

"no problem." the driver happily extended his hand. "i'm park jaehyung. and you are?"

"wait! you're jaehyung-hyung?! oh my god, brian-hyung's told me all about you! no wonder you seemed so familiar at first glance!!" pil quietly spoke, grasping jae's hand and bringing it into a friendly shake.

"aaah, and you must be wonpil-ah. what a coincidence!" the glasses-clad blonde murmured out with a bright smile. "say hi to sungjin for me, would you?"

"of course, hyung!" wonpil's eyes creased in happiness as his lips also formed into a smile.

"good. now, why don't we wake this kid up? he has to get home sometime."

"oh! of course, of course!" wonpil gently stroked dowoon's forearm, and whispered in his ear, causing the boy to stir. "come on, woonie. we have to get you home, jagiya~"

"you guys are so cute," jae whispered out as pil grinned at woon, who was smacking his lips and stretching like a cat in the morning. "now kindly exit my bus so i can go home to eat chicken with my brian."

"you guys are together, aren't you? so i was right all along?" wonpil chuckled out, bringing both himself and the youngest man to their feet. 

"psschh~ no! where'd you get that idea from?" jae sassily retorted. "he's not for me."

"you both say that, it's so frustrating," the shorter blonde huffed out, shaking his head and carefully pulling dowoon to the front of the bus, jae following behind them. dowoon stumbled a few times, tiredly rubbing at his eye.

"yah. it's not a bad thing to deny something exists so it won't hurt you. you know how brian is..." jae mournfully moaned out before plopping into his driver's seat. "now go take that sweetheart home before he collapses on the street or something."

wonpil nodded in sympathy and sent his new friend a goodbye wave. dowoon tried to copy his actions but simply ended up lazily opening and closing his hand alternately between a fist and a palm. jae's heart grinned inside his chest and he yelled after the retreating pair, "yah! you owe my grill a good scrub for this!"

wonpil chuckled and yelled back, "thanks for waking me up, hyung! but my arms don't have any strength left to scrub your dirty grill!"

while the bus driver rolled his eyes and drove away with a grin, wonpil turned back to the sleepy dowoon. "yah, woonie... where's your home?"

the boy tiredly winked his eyes one by one, then pointed at the building they were standing directly in front of.

"really? wow..." wonpil looked the apartment complex up and down, then asked, "what's the number and letter?"

"Di... Di-5."

wonpil nodded to himself. the first floor was just the lobby... so fifth floor, fifth door. "okay. let's go, woonie. let's play a small game, too!"

"game?" the younger man's head lolled toward wonpil in curiosity. "what game, hyungie?"

"it's called 'little step, big step.' i'll show you. when i sing, Baby's small feet take... Little," he took a small step, "Little," and another, "Little," and another, "Steps..." dowoon followed his lead, taking the three springy little steps. "good! and when i sing, Appa's big feet take... Big," he took a large step, "Big," and another, "Big," and another, "Steps!"

as dowoonie took the three big steps, he softly giggled and brought wonpil closer to himself with a tug. "pillie-hyung... it's a fun game!"

"of course it is!" the blonde laughed out. then they played the game, taking sets of small and large steps until they reached the stairs. "now, how about we count the steps as we go up?"

"YES!~" dowoon happily chirped out, having woken a bit since his nap. "woonie likes counting!"

"that's good!" wonpil gripped dowoon's hand slightly tighter just in case the younger man tripped or slipped on the stairs. "okay. what's this one?"

"hana."

"mhm. great job, woonie!~"

dowoon's ears tinted red and a pleased grin made its way onto his face. 

"let's keep going. there's a lot of steps left!"

the black-haired boy nodded in agreement and they began to ascend the stairs, dowoon quietly counting out the steps to the rhythm of his steady footsteps.

once they reached the top, wonpil brought a kiss to dowoon's cheek, whispering, "i'm so proud of you, jagiya," onto the skin with a smile. the younger man shyly smiled and brought out his keys to open his door. he fumbled with them, having some trouble. his hyung giggled and brought his fingers to the keys, softly slipping them into his own grasp. "it's okay, dowoonie. i'll help you out so we can get you some warm milk with butter."

the boy's eyes drooped and he nodded, gripping onto wonpil's arm for support. 

the blonde opened the door and gently nudged him, then brought him into his room, walking past the scrappy living area with a confused gaze. "alright, woonie. i'll go get you your milk, so you change into your nightties. got it, sweetie?"

dowoon nodded yet again, not having the energy or the will to answer out loud any longer. wonpil sat him onto the bed and left the room, searching through the messy kitchen for a cup. he found one set conveniently on the counter top, a swirly straw sitting in it. the blonde smiled at the sight and went to the fridge. he immediately saw the milk and poured it into the cup before putting some butter in it and placing the whole schebang in the microwave. once the appropriate amount of time had gone by, wonpil washing his hands as he waited, the man tested the temperature of the milk with his finger. approving it, he dipped the straw back into the cup. then he carefully made his way back to dowoon's room, finding the black-haired boy in blue night-pants and a white shirt, hugging an entire army of plushies atop his bed. 

as soon as the younger man heard wonpil approaching the bed, he opened his eyes and scooted over before patting the space beside him on the bed. "hyungie~" he sweetly whined out. "sing me a lullaby, please..."

wonpil ruffled his hair and passed him the cup with the straw, which the boy gripped in joy and began to quietly slurp at. "and what song does dowoonie want to hear?"

taking a huge slurp, dowoon thought for a few seconds, then excitedly stated, after he swallowed his milk, of course, "yeppeoso!"

"yeppeoso?"

"mhm!" dowoon happily slurped some more liquid through his straw, his nose crinkling up in bliss.

"are you sure that's a song, woonie?"

"it will be, hyung!~" and the boy expectantly sat up and smiled at his hyung.

"okay..." and a small vision of some nice words popped up into the blonde's head, and he began to carefully murmur a melody for the younger man's entertainment. the harmonious sounds reached dowoon's expectant ears and the boy perked them up to hear better. it was... beautiful. and the boy nearly forgot about the milk that was cooling down in his palms while he listened to his pillie-hyung compose aloud. but soon the sounds were fading away and dowoonie was passing his hyung the cup so he could properly applaud him. 

 

it was now 10:30, and dowoonie was asleep on his bed, all tucked in and comfortable and laden with stuffed animals (most of which were his beloved fishies). wonpil was touching his fingers to his lips, remembering what had just happened. dowoon had finished his milk, set it on his bedside table, said he would wash it in the morning, "i'm a big boy, don't worry, hyung!~" he sleepily watched as wonpil tucked him in, hugged his toys close... and then, with droopy eyes and lazy lips, he had pressed a soft kiss to pil's lips after asking him to come a bit closer with a quiet voice, raspy and low with exhaustion. and now, with a last loving glance at the sleeping boy, the blonde left after locking the door from the inside, his mind still lingering on the warmth of the entire evening and the final kiss goodnight which had perfectly wrapped it up.

**Author's Note:**

> *
> 
> this story will be continued in day7, so please do not worry, it's not a complete story yet, ehehe


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